Traverse mechanism  for thread-winding machines



(No Model.) 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. CLARK.

TRAVERSE MEGHANISMPOR THREAD WINDING MACHINES, &c. No. 340,862. v Patented Apr. 2 751886.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

' W. CLARK.

TRAVERSE MEGHANISM FOR THREAD WINDING MACHINES, &c.

Patented Apr. 27, 1886.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICEO \VILLIAM CLARK, OF N E\VARK, NElV JERSEY.

TRAVERSE MECHANISM. FOR THREAD-WINDING MACHINES, 80C.

:TJPIEGEFECATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,862, dated April .27 1885.

Application filed July 24, 1884. Serial No. ]-"8,603.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Traverse Mechanism for Thread W'inding Machines, 820., of which the following is a specification.

The particular machines in which I intend to use my improvement, principally, are the machines similar to those'heretofore in use at the factory of the Clark Thread Company at Newark, New Jersey, in which the thread is wound from the cops to the cop-winding spools; also the machines in which the thread is wound from the twisting-frames onto the re winding-spools; also the machines by which the thread is wound from the hanks onto the supply-bobbins for the spoofing-machines.

My invention consists in combining with a finger or piece connected with and governing the mechanism which produces changes in the direction of traverse a plate or its substitute, which engages the finger or piece and maintains its position while each traverse is continued, but which, being vibrated in each direction, permits of the change of traverse at points varying from time to time, so that' decrements as well as increments may be produced in the traverse when required.

Figure 1 of the drawings represents a plan View of sufficient of the mechanism to illustrate the nature of my improvement. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the same in section through the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a face or front view of the same with the frontplatc, f, removed, for the purpose of showing more clearly the relative arrangement of the parts behind it. In this last figure the representation of the gear-whcels, the screws and nuts, and their bearings is omitted. Fig. 4 represents an isometric view of the mechanism, more fully described as a modification. Fig.

5 represents the same toothed or ribbed cylin der of Fig. 4 developed.

a is the shattwith which the thread-guides are connected. This shaft is common in thread-winding machines heretofore used, and the methods of connecting it with the threadguides for the purpose of communicating its (No mode motion to them are well understood by those skilled in the art. ltavill therefore be unnecessary to describe them.

The object of my invention is to cause the shaft a to reciprocate in its bearings longitudi nally with a predeteruiined motion regulated by the adjustment of the mechanism by which it is controlled. The shaft a is therefore free to move longitudinally in its bearings.

Below the shaft a andiu the position shown in the drawings are mounted the two righthand screws 0 I). These screws are rotated in opposite directions by means of power ap plied to the screw 1) and communicated from it to the screw b through the gears c 0.

Upon the shaft (1, intermediate its bearings, are rigidlysecured two collars, dd. Between these two collars and loosely mounted upon the shaft 6!, so as to be free to turn thereon, is the lever e.

g g are two bell-crank levers, one of which is situated on each side of the lever e and between it and the collar (Z d on their several sides. Theselevers 99 are fitted loosely about and have their fulcrums upon the shaft a,- The collars d d are adapted to prevent lateral movement of the lever c and the levers g g upon the shaft a. At the extremity of one of the lever-arms, as at h h, I have shown each of the levers g 9 connected with the lever e by a bolt passing through a slot in the lever e, so as to admit of vertical ad j ustment between the two parts. At the extremity of the other arms of the said levers g g, as at i i, I preferably arrange two half or less than half nuts. Said half-nuts are screwthreaded on their under sides to correspond with the threads upon the screws. By means of the engagement of the said half-nuts with the said screws the lever 6 maybe moved backward and forward across the machine. Obviously, instead of using screw-threaded halfnuts, single metallic points secured to the said lever-arms in any suitable mannerand adapted to engage with said screws mightbe used. On one side of the shaft a, as at h, the leverter minates with its connection with the lever 9. On the opposite side of the shaft a the lever 6 projects beyond itsconncction with the lever g and bears upon its extremity a piece or finger, j. I have shown the said finger. as provided at one end with a shank adapted to enter a soeketin the end of the lever-arm. The said finger may be adjusted relatively to said lever-arm, and is secured in any desired position by means of a set-screw, j. At its extremity this finger extendsinto the form shown at in the drawings, its upper and lower sides being substantially horizontal and parallel, and its ends being beveled or rounded off, as shown in Fig. 3.

l is a lug or tooth on the finger j, projecting slightly downward therefrom.

m m are springs of the form shown in Fig. 3, secured at one end to the frame of the machine, and having their acting extremities so formed and placed that as thelever e traverses backward and forward at one end of its traverse it will be forced downward by the spring m, and at the other end of its traverse it will be forced upward by the spring 121., while at the intermediate points of its traverse it will be uninfluenced by either spring.

Upon an upright, a, secured to the frame of the machine, is a reciprocating carriage, 0, which is secured in place by the plate f, attached to the face of the uprightn, and having a flange at its upper end, as shown at Fig. 3, extending over the upper edge of the carriage 0.

To the top of the carriage 0 is secured a plate, 1), which is divided in the center, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and secured to the carriage 0 by screws passing through slots, so that it may be lengthened or shortened. The carriage 0 is provided with a bearing for a cam or eccentric, q, asshown in Fig. 3. This cam or eccentric q is mounted upon the shaft 0', having its bearings in the face-plate f and the upright n.

tis a star-wheel, of the form shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, mounted upon the end of the shaft 0, and so located that its teeth are in the path of the tooth or lugl on the finger-j as it reciprocates in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3. The connections at h h are so adjusted that when the projection 7c of the finger j is below the platep the half-nut ati will beheld in engagement with the screw '1), and the nut 2 will be held out of engagement with the screw 1), as shown in Fig. 2; also, so that when the projection 76 on the finger j is resting upon the upper side of the plate 1) the half-nut at i will be held in engagement with the screw 1) and the nut at i out of engagement with the screw 1).

u is a lever pivoted at one end to the frame and held by a spiral spring, 11, so that its other end presses against the teeth of the starwheel to prevent the same revolving, excepting, when moved by the action of the lug or tooth l.

The mode of operation of the mechanism is as follows: Suppose the shaft a to be at one end of the traverse, the lever 6 being in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, where it is pressed downward by the spring in, so that the nut i engages with the screw 1). The machine being started, the screws b b revolve in such direction that the screw 1) compels the nut 12 to advance in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1. As the nut advances it carries with it the lever e, and the projection Icon the finger j proceeds beneath the plate 1), as shown in Fig. 2, the beveled front edge of the projection'k insuring the entrance of the piece lbelow the plate. The plate 11 remains stationary until the finger 7' has advanced so far that the tooth or lug Z engages with and turns the wheel 2. As this wheel is turned it carries with it the cam or eccentric g, which forces the carriage 0 to advance in a direction opposite to the arrow, Fig. 3, the distance to which it advances being dependent upon the length of the teeth on the wheel and also on theform of the cam or eccentric (1. Then the projection k on the finger j has passcdthe wheel 1, the plate 1) is again stationary and the lever e advances until the projection is on the fingerj is clear of the plate 10. Then the upward pressure of the spring m, which has in the meantime engaged with the lever 6, will force said lever, together with the finger j, upward and above the level-of the platep. This action throws the nut i out of gear with the screw b and the nut i into gear with the screw 1), and as the screws continue to revolve the screw b, revolving in the opposite direction to the screw 12, will cause the nut t to advancein the direction opposite to the arrow, Fig. 1. As it advances in this direction it carries with it the lever e and the finger j, the projection 70 being now on top of the plate 1) instead of below it, as before. The beveled form of the rear edge of the piece 70 insures its taking that position. As the lever 6 thus proceeds upon its return traverse the lug or tooth Z is raised too high to engage with the teeth of the wheel 25, and hence the plate 1) remains stationary on the return traverse. When the return traverse has proceeded far enough to clear the projection k on the finger j of the plate 1), the spring m, having in the meantime engaged with the lever e, will force that lever downward and the lever e and the half-nuts z a" will be held in the position in which they started. It will be noticed that by the construction shown every time the lever 6 makes a forward traverse the wheel i will be moved the distance between two of its teeth, and starting with the position shown in Fig. 3 for three of these movements corresponding with three forward traverses, the cam will move the carriage 0 and plate 1) inthe opposite direction to that indicated by the arrow. The next three movements of the wheel i will, however, cause the cam to move the carriage 0 and plate 1) in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. 3. WVhen the plate 1) is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. 3, the forward traverses of the lever 6 will be lengthened and the backward traverses shortened, and vice versa. \Vhen the plate 1) moves in the direction opposite to the arrow, the length of the forward traverses will be decreased and the length of the backward traverses increased.

By the arrangement I have described and shown in the drawings the inerementof the forward traverses and the decrement of the backward traverses of the lever 6 will occur three times. Vice versa, the decrement of the forward traverses and the increment of the backward traverses willalso occur three times, and each increment and decrement will be about one-sixteenth of an inch; but, though this is the arrangement I prefer, I do not limit myself either to the length or to the number of increments or decrements. The length of the plate 1) will be adjusted to correspond with the length of the spool being wound, its whole length being such that each traverse of the shaft a is less than the length of the barrel of the spool by the combined lengths of the in crements of traverse in one direction.

The effect upon the winding of the thread of the mode of operation which I have described may be briefly stated as follows: Suppose the-plate p to be at one extremity of its path of reciprocation; then the thread-guide should be at one extremity of the barrel of the spool. Now advance the machine throughits forward traverse, and when it reaches the end of that traverse the thread-guide, by reason of the advancement of the plate through one increment of traverse or one-sixteenth of an inch, will be theoretically about two sixteenths of an inch back from the flange of the spool. The machine now enters on its backward traverse, and when it has reached the extremity of the backward traverse the thread guide will be theoretically found to be about one-sixteenth of an inch back from the flange of the spool. The machine now enters upon its sec ond forward traverse, and as it proceeds the plate 1) is advanced one-sixteenth of an inch, making the thread-guide, when it reaches the forward end of this forward traverse, one-sixteenth of an inch back from the'flange of the spool. The machine now enters upon its second backward traverse, and at the end thereof the thread-guide will be theoretically twosixteenths of an inch back from the flange of the spool. The machine now enters upon its third forward traverse, and as it advances the plate 1) will receive an increment of one-sixteenth of an inch, and the thread-guide will be found at the end of the traverse close up to the end of the flange of the spool. The ma chine now enters upon its third backward traverse, and at the end thereof the threadguide will be found to he three-sixteenths of an inch back from the flange of the spool. Here the decrements ot' the traverses begin, and for the next three forward traverses each forward traverse will be shortened one-six teenth of an inch, and for the next three backward traverses each one will be lengthened one-sixteenth of an inch. If the final position of each course of thread upon the spool corresponded exactly with the theoretical move ments of the thread-guide, which I have referred to, each course of thread would be three sixteenths of an inch shorter than the length of the barrel of the spool, the shortness of some courses appearing at one end of the spool and of others at the other ends, and of others at both ends; but the elasticity of the thread prevents this theoretical result from being reached with accuracy. The result, however, in winding-spools with rectangular flanges, as the cop winding-spools, and the rewindingspools and the supply-bobbins for the spooling or winding machines is, that the thread near the flanges of the spool will be wound softly and will not ride up against the flange of the spool or bind. lhirthermore, where a number of strands of thread are being wound side by side, as on the cop winding-spools and the rcwinding spools, each strand willbe wound under similar conditions of tension, so that when the strands come to be twisted none will be longer than others, and any tension brought upon the completed thread will be distributed equally among the various strands. Furthermore, especially in the case of the supplybobbins for the spooling or winding machines where the flanges of the spool being wound are beveled outwardly near their periphery, there will be no tendency of the thread when wound to slough over the flange of the spool, as has frequently been the case heretofore. I

In lieu of the plate 1) and the described mechanism for imparting the intermittent motions to produce increments and decrements of traverse, the equivalent of a series of plates, each one longer in one direction and shorter in the other than its neighbor, might be cmployed,with suitable mechanism to bring a new one into position for operation just before each forward and backward traverse of the machine. An arrangement of this kind is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, where, instead of the plate p, longitudinal teeth or ribs are arranged upon a barrel, the length of all the teeth or ribs being the same, but the position of each one being farther toward or farther awayfrom the endof the barrel than that of its neighbor. It is plain that by placing this barrel in such position that its teeth shall be brought successively into the position occupied by the platep and combining it with suitable mechanism similar to that described in the patent to Hezekiah Conant, dated December 13, 1859, No. 26,415, for revolving the barrel to bring a new tooth or rib into position just previous to each traverse, the same effect in substance will be produced which is produced by the arrangement just described. If this last-described arrangement is employed at the commencement of the winding, one of the teeth which is close to one end of the barrel should be first in position.

In the toothed or ribbed barrel shown in Fig. 4 the numberof increments and the number of decrements shown are each six.

IVhcre in the claims I refer to the reciproeating plate pand the mechanism by which 'its reciprocation is accomplished it will be understood that I mean to include as equivalents of the same a number of platesas, for instance, the teeth on the barrel shown in Fig. 4, which by their location produce substantially the same results as the plate p in combination with its reciprocating mechanism.

I do not intend to limit myself to the precise mechanism shown and described for producing the traverses, since other mechanism might be employed for that purpose in combination with the mechanism for governing the action of the same, substantially as described; nor do I limit myself to the form of any of the parts described or their relative arrangement, nor in all respects to their operation, since I am aware that I have made provision whereby the operation is perfected in many useful but not entirely essential particnlars.

I am aware of the English Patents to W'ield, No. 122, of 1858, and to Conant, No. 1,500, of 1859, and the United States Patent to Glover, No. 50, 575, of October 24:, 1865; but upon a comparison of the foregoing description with those patents it will be apparent that the mode of operation and result of my invention is different from either of them. I therefore do not lay claim to what they contain.

I claim.

1. In combination, a shaft for carrying the thread-guide, mechanism, substantially as described, for causing the said shaft to traverse longitudinally, a finger moved in conformity with said traverse, mechanism, substantially as described, connected with said finger,whereby the direction of traverse is changed by a motion of the finger, a plate engaging the finger and maintaining the position of the same from end to end of the traverse, and mechanism, also substantially as described, whereby said plate is vibrated in both directions, all combined, substantially as set forth, whereby changes in the position of the plate change the extent of traverse at both ends thereof, as set forth.

2. In combination, a shaft for carrying the thread-guide, mechanism, substantially as described, for. causing the said shaft to traverse longitudinally, a finger moved in conformity with said traverse, springs arranged in the path of the finger, whereby it is thrown upward at one end of the traverse and downward at the other end, a plate engaging said finger and holding it up during its traverse in one direction and down during its traverse in the opposite direction, andmechanism, substantially as described, whereby said plate is vibrated in each direction, thereby producing decrements and increments in the traverse, substantially as described.

3. In combination, a shaft for carrying the threadguide, mechanism, substantially as described, for causing the said shaft to traverse longitudinally, a finger and mechanism, substantially as described, for actuating the same, whereby the traverse is changed, said finger having four motions around the projecting edge of a plate, the plate and mechanism, also substantially as described, whereby said plate is vibrated in each direction, whereby the distance through which the finger has to traverse in passing around the plate is varied, substantially as described. I

WM. CLARK.

\Vitn esses:

HARRY L. SoDEN, M. J. DE WITH: 

